Why Go to Church?

God says to surround yourself with like minded people, thats why we need to go to church. yes God does send other people messages to reafirm something for you.

I surround myself with like minded people right here.
AND PROVE to me god sends messages to people.....

After a Sunday service when people are leaving Church feeling good with a positive outlook.....More power to them.

if it makes them feel good.....*Shrugs*

Just talking about god makes me feel good. AND I dont need a church or group of people to feel that.

The connection between you and GOD is a personal one...you need nobody else to accomplish this.

Jesus said to pray at home on your knees in a closet.
NOT on a street corner.

I have heard my pastor and numerous other pastors say things to people that only god knew they had been asking about. The pastors words given to them by God reafirmed what God was telling them.

your pastor is an iimperfect man just like you.
He probably asked his gossipy wife for all the torrid details of his 'flock"s personal business.

"Where there are 2 or more gathered in my name,there I shall be"

'Fellowship' Everyone has their own Journey I suppose.

Amen!

OP take your God hating nonsense someplace else.

hey assclown i never once said i hated god.
The relationship between him and you is a personal one.
Take your assumptions elsewhere.

God says to gather one another with like minded people, why do you hate church so much

yes 2 or more.....so you can have "church" anywhere.
WE are having "church" right now....
so why go to a church and listen to a man telling you what to believe and demanding your money in the name of "God"...

power corrupts. men in power use that power for personal gain. Go to your pastors house.
notice the 10thousand dollar couches......
notice the lincoln town car in the driveway.....
Notice the child he has hidden in his basement.

The same reason that people join most organisations - they have a need to feel they belong somewhere - but I'm with you on this, for me, a church just gets in the way of my personal relationship with my God!

my sister tried to shove that "do not forsake yourselves from assembling together" BS down my throat too.

Most churches these days are NOT preaching Christian doctrine. I do believe if you find a good preacher and congregation it can be beneficial, but my sister used them mostly to plow her driveway, get her a new refrigerator, have them bring her food and feel sorry for her.

Most churches are so far below my level as a Christian - preaching sports analogies to illustrate Jonah and the whale or some stupid ars stuff - that I gave up years ago. I will go to see visiting prophecy teachers or preachers who are more high profile however. I also hate the "one hour as early as possible on Sunday morning so we can get God out of the way and enjoy the rest of our week" attitude.

I will say however, OP, that one does need to be open to the fact that some people are more enlightened than we are, and we should be open to that, even if a particular church is not the answer.

BTW, for those saying the fellowship - you are confusing fellowship with socialising! You probably have less in common with those at your church than you think.

True fellowship does not require face to face contact or even knowing personally those you have fellowship with because it's about being one in spirit.

well said.

ok i give you this. Some may be more enlightened....however...if one desires true enlightenment...no man can help you achieve it. Only GOD can. So ask him yourself.
I have prayed and prayed and prayed abaout what church to join in the past......guess what GOD told me?....
NONE.
He told me just SIT STILL.

you know what is really annoying? I have family members who force themselves to go to church so they have a "place" in the community. You know, looks good. They even disagree with the doctrine of the church but go anyway. How stupid is that? My sister goes to a holy roller church that is extremely liberal and preaches that 12 step program religion. You know, nothing about the bible, just how to improve your marriage (while getting in sexist jokes), how to feel better about yourself, how to raise a child. All that stuff.

EXCELLENT point.

WE are having church RIGHT now.
When I discuss GOD RIGHT here...it is MUCH more enlightening that any church I have EVER attended. and I have attended MANY.


All I am saying is that NO MAN knows ANY more about GOD than you do right now.

BINGO!!! False double lives. They want to look good and be accepted.
But my mother all ways told me.....
if everyone else was jumping off a bridge....would you do the same?

To really get to know god...

just read the bible....
Then sit still and meditate.
EASY.

The hard part is quieting the mind.
You do not need a pastor or preacher for this.

PLUS...
The bible mentions babylon the great....

it says "Get out of her my people"

Babylon the Great= ALL organized religions.
ALL of them.

The Christ's teaching was all about removing the intermediary and developing a direct personal relationship with the Father, hence He taught the disciples to pray directly to the Father and not through Him or anyone else.

Yes...just you and him.
Moses was called a friend of god....
friends talk to one another....
they dont listen to other people relay messages.
to become a friend of God...
simply TALK to him.
Then shut up and listen.

I TOTALLY believe God is telling you that. Same thing basically happened to me. I met some nice people at church but was bored out of my mind and felt it was muddying my relationship with God. Also didn't meet anyone that genuinely cared about me or wanted to hear my problems, just wanted to offer me cookies and coffee and hope I put some money in the tithe plate.

I grew up watching Billy Graham crusades however, and man, that guy really enlightened me. Also his books, I'm reading his updated version of Storm Warning right now. J. Vernon McGee had some kick ars broadcasts too that explained some things that I never put together from reading the Bible myself, and I had a college level comprehension level in 5th grade. Oral Roberts was good too. But yes, they are all as human as we are.

I think the internet is also a way of surrounding yourself with believers.

You can learn from other Christians, and they can be help provide strength, comfort and inspiration because they have the same World View.

well if you read the Bible though, why did God send disciples out to teach the people? Why did he send prophets before and since? They were merely men. So, in a way you are contradicting your own point. We wouldn't even know about Jesus if it weren't for other humans.

I was blessed with uncanny gift of reading Shakespeare by myself and understanding it too. But most people have to have it explained to them and I totally understand why. We all have different comprehension levels, not intelligence per se, but comprehension levels.

because back then he had direct contact with us through his son Jesus.
In the garden of eden he walked around with adam and eve.
It was a different time.
WE do not have that luxury.
Now all we have is stupid humans yelling at us telling us what to believe.

WHO ON EARTH WOULD WANT TO EXPAIN ANYTHING TO YOU???

YOU CLEARLY HAVE YOUR OWN AGENDA....

YOUR OWN TRUTH....

WHY DON'T YOU GO AND BOTHER SOMEONE ELSE???

OH YA, THATS RIGHT THIER ALL DEAD!!!


PEACE AND GRACE AND LOVE TO YOU ANYWAY BROTHER!!!

IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST!!!!

wow me too.
freind romans countrymenlendme your ears for I have come to bury ceaser not to praise him
The evil men do live after them
and the good is interred within there bones......


This is a gift. Use it well my friend.